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Little changes at the British Columbia, Canada’s Zazpiak Bat Basque Club after 2015's annual meeting, attended by 30 members. Elena Sommer will be the president for another year and Mirari Duñabeitia will share the treasurer and secretary positions with Jeanne Desotels. The lunch-meeting also served to present this year’s program. “It’s a small Club, so everybody helps with something and that’s really helpful,” said Sommer to EuskalKultura.com.

British Columbia, Canada. Volunteering at a Basque Club’s Direction Board takes time and effort, and that’s why Elena Sommer said she will be the president of Zazpiak Bat for another year “but, probably, no more,” at the Euskal Etxea’s annual meeting, celebrated on Saturday Marc 7th, at Mayview Circle, in Burnaby. At the event, where 30 members had lunch and discussed the new program, Amaia Ormaetxea, former vice-president, decided to leave that position for the same reasons.

Things being so, this is what the Zazpiak Bat’s Direction Board looks like: Elena Sommer, president; Johnny Ugalde, vice-president (former treasurer); and Jeanne Desotels and Mirari Duñabeitia, treasurers and secretaries. Along with them, six other members will help administrating the Euskal Etxea, to wit: Pia Azpiri, Amaia Ormaetxea (former vice-president), Mike Echart, Frank Echart, Domingo Hernández, and Marina Hernández.

Changes

One of the major changes after the meeting is that the Mus Tournament will not be celebrated in Merritt, since the ranch the member’s used to rent is not available anymore. “We used to like to go to Merritt –almost three hours north-east of Vancouver−, play cards outside and BBQ there,” explained Sommer. But, last year, the ranch had already become a private permanent resident so they decided to rent a hall. “We had a good time, but it was not the same,” pointed out the president, native of Donostia. Therefore, from this year on, the Mus Tournament will be celebrated the very same day of the annual Picnic, on the 8th of August, at Hume Park.

The Club also presented its new three members: Victor Pérez, an American from Bellingham –half an hour away from the Canadian border− of Navarrese descent; Zuriñe Fermin, the new Euskara teacher; and David. Following the thread of the language classes, Sommer, a student herself, highlighted the good atmosphere in the class amongst the eight students and the good aid provided by those with higher level.

Zazpiak Bat Basque Club (Canada), 2015 program: Tentative dates

-March 7^th        Annual General Meeting
-April 18^th         Aberri Eguna 
-May 1^st           Card/Games Night/ Pintxo Pote
-July 4^th           San Fermín Picnic at Hume Park, New Westminster
-August 8^th      Andra Mari Dinner/Mus Tournament
-Dec. 5^th          Olentzero Party / Euskara Day